English Foxhound

  arely kept as a pet, the Foxhound is a pack dog kept as a fox hunter, and mostly popular in Britain.

 History:

Developed in Britain in the thirteenth century when fox hunting replaced stag hunting as the popular sport, the Foxhound was bred from many old Hound breeds, including Staghounds, Bulldogs, Greyhounds, and Terriers. It has the longest documented history of any breed, with Hound pack records dating back to the late 1700s.

 Physical characteristics:

A medium-sized, muscular, and heavy-boned dog. Height: not specified, but usually around 23 in (58 cm). Weight: not specified, but usually around 70 lb (32 kg). The head is tapered, with a broad skull and negligible stop. The nose is black and long. The eyes are large, round and brown. The ears are short, set low, and hang into the cheeks. The body has a massive chest with deep ribs and a wide, level back below well-sloped shoulders. The tail is long, set high, and carried gaily. The forequarters are straight and muscular. The hindquarters are strong and solid with straight stifles.

 The coat of the English Foxhound is short-haired, dense, and shiny. The coat color is any Hound color: tan and white with black markings; tan and black with white legs, throat, and tail; or lemon and white pied mixtures.

 Behavior:

The English Foxhound was bred to cooperate well in a pack when pursuing its quarry. Each dog happily encourages the others to relentlessly pursue their quarry, and they show tremendous stamina in the chase. On its own, the English Foxhound is not a really aggressive dog, but in a pack can be quite formidable. It should be possible to keep this dog as a companion animal if the owner is very assertive and happy to meet the dog's varying demands. The English Foxhound requires plenty of exercise to keep it in top form.

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